1923 · Untitled photo · Wikimedia Commons
Wadena’s story
Wadena in pictures
6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 3 places on the National Register.
WadenaMN
A town of 4,419. A typical home worth about $213K.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0
Population
4,419
+5.8% since 2010
Typical home
$213K
+3.8% in a year
Household income
$56K
median
Median age
39.2
years
Jobs based here
2,959
A job hub
What makes Wadena stand out
The 3 things Wadena does most differently from other towns.
$213Ktypical home
Housing
$213K typical home
39% below the MN typical home
Up 3.8% in a year.
2,959jobs here
Work
2,959 jobs
based in Wadena, a regional job hub
38% of working residents work in town.
Outdoors
#66 most trails in MN
4.7 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves
2.8% of the town is conserved land.
A job hub
Every workday, about 2,308 people come to Wadena for work
Where Wadena’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,959jobs based in Wadena
38%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Wadena’s report card
Housing$213K39% below the MN typical homeCommute15 miHalf of commuters travel lessOutdoors5 mi#66 for trails in MNHazards12/100Very low risk of storm & flood damageHealthCHealthier than 26% of U.S. townsClimate80°/-1°Summer high · winter low · 51″ snowSafetyC+Less crime than 39% of U.S. townsSchoolsC+Beats 42% of MN districts
Now in Wadena
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Wadena is #269 of 273 in MN for “Healthiest”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Wadena’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →48°
Fog/Mist
H 68° · L 59°
Local news
All →- Kittson Central Boys Varsity Ice Hockey @ Wadena-Deer Creekmaxpreps.com · Sep 26
- New York Mills Varsity Football @ Wadena-Deer Creekmaxpreps.com · Sep 26
- Menahga Girls Varsity Volleyball @ Wadena-Deer Creekmaxpreps.com · Sep 25
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Wadena. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Wadena home is worth about $213K
The typical Wadena home is worth about $213,000, up 3.8% in a year, 39% below the Minnesota typical home.
$213KZillow home value
Typical home value
Wadena$213K
Minnesota$351K
+3.8%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Work & commute
About one in three working residents works right in Wadena
About one in 3 of Wadena’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Perham (7%), New York Mills (6%) and Staples (4%). Half commute less than 15 miles.
38%work in town
Where working residents work
In Wadena38%
Perham7%
New York Mills6%
Staples4%
Brainerd2%
15 mi
median commute distance
2,959
jobs based in Wadena
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Outdoors
2.8% of Wadena is conserved land
4.7 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves.
#66for trails in MN
2.8%
conserved · 98 of 3,518 acres
4.7 mi
of trails · 0.9 per sq mi
#126
most walkable in MN
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sunnybrook Park | 0.1 mi | 65 |
| 2. Tapley Park | — | 5 |
| 3. Northwest Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Natural hazards
Very low risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 12% of U.S. communities.
12risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
2
paid flood claims since 2014
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Health
Healthier than 26% of U.S. towns
Wadena beats the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18.
CHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Minnesota
1 better13 too close to call18 worse
| What stands out | Wadena | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.9% | 76.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.8% | 5.4% |
Astera Health
1.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
2nd
percentile among MN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Wadena has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to -1°, and about 51 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
51″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter4–22°
Spring31–52°
Summer56–78°
Fall35–53°
Sep 30
typical first frost
May 10
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 39% of U.S. towns
Wadena reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 61% report less.
C+Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Wadena3.2
Minnesota2.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Wadena11.9
Minnesota14.3
U.S.15.5
39th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
22nd
percentile among MN towns
14
violent crimes reported in 2025
52
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Schools
Wadena’s public schools outperform 42% of Minnesota districts
The public schools Wadena’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 58% of Minnesota’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
C+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary | PK–4 | 450 | C |
| Wadena-Deer Creek 5Th and 6Th Grade | 5–6 | 159 | C+ |
| Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High | 7–12 | 470 | C+ |
| Freshwater Education District ALC | 6–12 | 101 | C− |
| White Pine Academy | 5–12 | 11 | Not graded |
| Early Childhood Special Education | PK | 64 | Not graded |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduationAll 9 schools →
Landmarks
3 places in Wadena on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from Wadena
8 notable people were born in Wadena.
J
John CampbellAmerican football player and Navy veteran · 1938–2024P
Pat PorterAmerican athletic competitor · 1959–2012J
Jack McBrideAmerican politician · 1926–1984J
Jim ChristophersonAmerican football player and coach · born 1938R
Robert A. AndersonAmerican businessman and politician · 1932–2006About Wadena
City in Minnesota, United States
Wadena ( wə-DEEN-ə) is a city in Otter Tail and Wadena counties in the state of Minnesota. It is about one hundred sixty miles northwest of the Minneapolis – Saint Paul metro area. The population was 4,325 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Wadena County. Wadena is an agricultural community and serves as a region hub for the Tri county area. Wadena is located at the crossroads of Highway 10 and Highway 71.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 4,325
- Area
- 5.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,352 ft
- ZIP code
- 56482
- Area code
- 218
Wadena’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Wadena.
Leaf RiverWadenaComptonWadena
More about Wadena
Still missing for Wadena:upcoming events